Computing systems may be arranged in a variety of possible configurations that utilize many different types of components. Such components can originate from any number of manufacturers, resulting in unpredictable quality and reliability of the components. This, in turn, can lead to inconsistent performance of the computing devices in which the components operate. In particular, hardware components can significantly impact user experience because users frequently interact with computing devices through hardware components. The quality and reliability of hardware components are therefore important foundations of ensuring a desired quality of user experience in operating computing devices.
For example, a user operating a touch screen device relies heavily on interactions with the touch screen interface. If a hardware component, such as the touch controller, is sluggish or unreliable, then the entire device becomes less usable. Furthermore, if the hardware component is integrated within the device, such as inside an enclosure surrounding the device, then the user may unknowingly identify other hardware or software components as the cause of the problem. In particular, a user may interpret poor performance of a computing device as reflective of the particular operating system used in the device, even if the underlying performance ultimately depends on hardware components.
To help avoid the problem of inconsistent user experience due to unreliable hardware components, it is known to establish standards of quality for components that may have originated from any number of possible entities, such as independent hardware vendors and original equipment manufacturers. Such standards of quality may help ensure that devices using such components maintain consistent user experience across different applications and usage environments. For example, an approval of quality may be given to components that successfully complete one or more tests, designed to determine whether the component satisfies certain criteria. Such approval may be granted, for example, by organizations that may have authority to approve devices for interoperating with operating systems in host computing devices.
A purchaser of a computing device may thus be safeguarded from components, which possibly may yield poor performance of the computing device, that have not received such approval. For example, in corporate enterprises, a technology administrator may use such approval as an indication of trust for hardware components, and may only provision the corporation with computers using components that are approved. Personal consumers may also use the approval to protect their computer devices from unreliable components or even hardware components that have been maliciously designed to gain unauthorized access to personal data or services.